1. Learn the Game
Wheelchair curling is a popular sport among athletes in wheelchairs and is gaining in popularity. Much like traditional competitive curling, athletes push granite donuts down the ice toward a target and aim to get closer to the target than their competition. Wheelchair curlers use the same donuts as typical curlers but push them from the sitting position in their wheelchair. The main difference between traditional curling and wheelchair curling is that there is no sweeping. Compete in wheelchair curling regardless of your disability. Competitive wheelchair curlers include athletes who are paraplegic and quadriplegic, athletes with amputations, athletes with MS and spina bifida and even athletes who have suffered strokes.
2. Make Adaptations
Make the adaptations necessary to compete in wheelchair curling. Ensure that you can use the delivery stick. If you can grip things normally, you will not have a problem with the delivery stick. If you have difficulty gripping things or cannot grip things at all, find a way to attach the delivery stick to your hand. Some athletes use something as simple as duct tape. In addition to adapting the stick, take someone with you on the ice. Some athletes need a person to hold their chair steady while that push the rock.
3. Join a Club
Get started in competitive wheelchair curling and join a curling club. Other than the delivery stick, little or no equipment is required. The ice is easily accessible with a ramp and there are many leagues available for beginners and experienced players. Look for wheelchair curling clubs in your area or join an able-bodied curling club. Challenge yourself by competing able-bodied athletes.
4. Raise Your Game
Set your sights on the national team. Get experience at the club level and then aim to compete with the best wheelchair curlers on the ice. Elite wheelchair curlers compete at the state, provincial, national and international levels. Wheelchair curling is an official sport of the Paralympic Games and uses the same rules as the World Curling Federation but does not include sweeping. Each curling team must be composed of both male and female players who need a wheelchair for mobility needs. This includes but is not limited to athletes with cerebral palsy, athletes with spinal cord injuries, athletes with multiple sclerosis and athletes with double amputations.
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